Sexual Assault Support Services Jean Blanchard, Director 591 West 19th Avenue Business line: 541.484.9791 Crisis Line: 541.343.SASS or 1.800.788-4727 E-mail: sass@efn.org

"Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) opened its doors in October, 1991. Like other sexual assault crisis centers nationwide, SASS grew out of the feminist movement and the work to end violence against women and children. Our mission is to support survivors of all types of sexual violence, and to challenge and change social conditions that perpetuate the existence of sexual violence.

"SASS is the only agency in Lane County dedicated to serving sexual assault survivors, and one of only a few in Oregon. The survivors we work with may have been assaulted very recently or years ago; they may be survivors of childhood sexual abuse, or youth or adult ("peer to peer") rape by an acquaintance, intimate partner, stranger, or multiple perpetrators. We work with survivors of drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual harassment at school or in the workplace, and many other types of sexual exploitation, as well as ritual abuse and stalking. While supporting survivors of sexual violence is our daily work, we often do come into contact with survivors of past or present domestic violence as well. While there is a small amount of overlap in services between SASS and other agencies serving domestic violence survivors, we have found that the majority of our services seem to be unduplicated by other agencies.

"SASS offers a 24-hour crisis/support line, crisis intervention, legal and medical advocacy, support groups covering a variety of sexual violence related issues for women, teen girls, and male survivors, community education, a schools education program, self-defense classes for women, information and referral, community outreach, a drop-in center and an in-house resource library. We provide both crisis intervention and longer-term support, assisting survivors in navigating through legal and medical systems, supporting survivors' decisions and advocating for their rights. When appropriate, we also provide information and support to people who have been impacted by the sexual assault of a partner, family member or friend. All of our direct services are confidential and free of charge. We are not affiliated with the police or DA's office, and we provide services to survivors whether or not they are choosing to report a crime. We serve primarily youth and adults, and we do not serve offenders/ perpetrators.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
~Martin Luther King Jr.

"As a small nonprofit organization, we are able to directly see the impact of our work on individuals we serve as well as in the community. We are still outraged by the impact of violence on women and children, but we are also inspired by the strength and courage of the amazing survivors we meet every day, and honored that they allow us to be part of their healing process. We are also inspired and energized by the enthusiasm and dedication of community volunteers, many of whom are survivors of violence themselves, and who are healing and directing their energy and passion into the movement to end sexual violence and oppression."

~ SASS Staff - May 2004